respond even when called by name. Indeed, he had been cutting classes, preferring to spend his time wandering through town. He had gotten to know Haddanâs topography, particularly the deserted areas beside the river, where the marbled salamanders lay eggs in the green waters of Sixth Commandment Pond. He walked the lanes, watching as large congregations of blackbirds flew overhead. Plenty of Haddan residents were enjoying the outdoors at this time of year. It was the height of the fall colors, and meadows and woods offered dizzying displays of yellow and damson and scarlet. The fields were thick with blooming redtop and ripe wild grapes; on porches and in backyards all over town there were pots of chrysanthemums and asters in shades of crimson and gold.
In spite of his rambles, August Pierce was not especially drawn to the landscape; rather, his nature walks served only to help him avoid the Haddan School. By the time other students were in morning classes, Gus was already at his regular seat at the pharmacy lunch counter, ordering black coffee. He hunched over the counter as he worked on a crossword, often staying right on through noon. Ordinarily, Pete Byers didnât care for students hanging around during class time, but he had come to appreciate Gus and he sympathized with the boyâs trials at school. Pete had been privy to more personal matters than anyone else in town; he knew peopleâs appetites and their downfalls far better than their own husbands and wives ever did, and he was quite familiar with the private lives of Haddan students as well.
People who were well acquainted with Pete knew he didnât gossip and he didnât judge. He was as pleasant to Carlin when she came looking for earplugs to prevent swimmerâs ear as he was to old Rex Hailey, whoâd been frequenting the drugstore all his life and who liked to chat for an hour or so whenever he came to pick up the Coumadin that would hopefully prevent another stroke. When Mary Beth Toshâs father was going through colon cancer and the insurance money wasnât on time, Pete gave Mary Beth whatever medicine was needed without any charge, happy to wait for the correct payments. In his long career, Pete Byers had seen too many people sick and dying, far more, he would wager, than those young doctors over at the health center in Hamilton ever had. These days, people never seemed to have appointments with the same doctor twice, with HMOs shuffling their patients around as if they had no more weight and importance than playing cards. Dr. Stephens, who had kept an office on Main Street for forty-five years, was a great old man, but heâd closed up his practice and moved to Florida, and even before the doctor had retired, it was Pete people came to when they wanted to talk, and as a matter of fact, they still do.
Pete had never discussed any of the information heâd been told, not even with his wife, Eilecn. He wouldnât think of telling her which member of the garden club had bunions or who was trying out Zoloft for her nervous condition. Once, years ago, Pete hired a clerk from Hamilton, a fellow named Jimmy Quinn, but as soon as Pete discovered that his new assistant had taken to perusing customersâ medical histories while eating his lunch, Quinn was fired, let go that very same day. Ever since, Pete has kept his ledgers under lock and key. Not even his nephew, Sean, sent up from Boston in the hopes heâd finally fly right and manage to finish out his senior year at Hamilton High, had access to the files. Not that Sean Byers was the type to be trusted. He was a dark, handsome kid of seventeen who had managed to mess up his life fairly well, at least well enough to convince his mother, Peteâs favorite sister, Jeannette, to step in and take action when Jeannette had always been the easygoing type, preferring to leave well enough alone. Sean had stolen two cars and been caught with one of them. Because of
In spite of his rambles, August Pierce was not especially drawn to the landscape; rather, his nature walks served only to help him avoid the Haddan School. By the time other students were in morning classes, Gus was already at his regular seat at the pharmacy lunch counter, ordering black coffee. He hunched over the counter as he worked on a crossword, often staying right on through noon. Ordinarily, Pete Byers didnât care for students hanging around during class time, but he had come to appreciate Gus and he sympathized with the boyâs trials at school. Pete had been privy to more personal matters than anyone else in town; he knew peopleâs appetites and their downfalls far better than their own husbands and wives ever did, and he was quite familiar with the private lives of Haddan students as well.
People who were well acquainted with Pete knew he didnât gossip and he didnât judge. He was as pleasant to Carlin when she came looking for earplugs to prevent swimmerâs ear as he was to old Rex Hailey, whoâd been frequenting the drugstore all his life and who liked to chat for an hour or so whenever he came to pick up the Coumadin that would hopefully prevent another stroke. When Mary Beth Toshâs father was going through colon cancer and the insurance money wasnât on time, Pete gave Mary Beth whatever medicine was needed without any charge, happy to wait for the correct payments. In his long career, Pete Byers had seen too many people sick and dying, far more, he would wager, than those young doctors over at the health center in Hamilton ever had. These days, people never seemed to have appointments with the same doctor twice, with HMOs shuffling their patients around as if they had no more weight and importance than playing cards. Dr. Stephens, who had kept an office on Main Street for forty-five years, was a great old man, but heâd closed up his practice and moved to Florida, and even before the doctor had retired, it was Pete people came to when they wanted to talk, and as a matter of fact, they still do.
Pete had never discussed any of the information heâd been told, not even with his wife, Eilecn. He wouldnât think of telling her which member of the garden club had bunions or who was trying out Zoloft for her nervous condition. Once, years ago, Pete hired a clerk from Hamilton, a fellow named Jimmy Quinn, but as soon as Pete discovered that his new assistant had taken to perusing customersâ medical histories while eating his lunch, Quinn was fired, let go that very same day. Ever since, Pete has kept his ledgers under lock and key. Not even his nephew, Sean, sent up from Boston in the hopes heâd finally fly right and manage to finish out his senior year at Hamilton High, had access to the files. Not that Sean Byers was the type to be trusted. He was a dark, handsome kid of seventeen who had managed to mess up his life fairly well, at least well enough to convince his mother, Peteâs favorite sister, Jeannette, to step in and take action when Jeannette had always been the easygoing type, preferring to leave well enough alone. Sean had stolen two cars and been caught with one of them. Because of
Similar Books
